Tapenade

Tapenade. It has been my breakfast, lunch and dinner. My daughter's after-school snack and my husband's late night appetizer. I am not home. I didn't even make the tapenade! I have been betwixt and between Betwixt and Betweened and Stuart Little. I never do two shows at one time. But I thought - as the playwright - how often do I need to be at rehearsals? Well, come dress rehearsal - a lot. Mainly for support. When 23 middle school students premiere a new play, the excitement is infectious, contagious and joyous. They want to chat with the playwright. And so after writing every morning, I spent my afternoons at a Black Box Theatre in Mahtomedi, MN and then ran to Lakeshore Players in White Bear Lake to audition, cast and start work on Stuart Little. It's kind of like dividing your time between Never-Never Land and Oz. En route, I smeared cream cheese on a slice of Italian bread and covered it all with some olive tapenade.


Heaven. My reward. My treat. Salty, tangy, briny olives mixing with the milky creaminess of the cream cheese (mascarpone would be good!).

Scarfing them down at home, in a car and at the theatre. Olives running down my chin. I felt decadent - living on a rich Mediterranean treat. No bags of potato chips for me!

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I bought the tapenade. But if you'd like to try your hand at making your own, a simple recipe can be found here.

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Amid cars overheating, lovely open-faced youthful eyes staring at me during auditions, glorious autumn days, belly rubs for the dog and planning my daughter's 21st birthday, we have had lots of cuddles and nuzzles with Pip. (aka Pippin, Sir Pipster, Pipperoni, Pyip).

The little fellow does indeed have something nasty. And one can learn a lot in two weeks. Because there is no traditional treatment, he is being treated holistically by "my-friend-the-research-veterinarian" and we have decided that we will take all the Pip time we can get. Even when he is knocking over hot candles, climbing the chandelier, chasing the dog's tail and sneezing into my coffee and wine.